


Shiva's Day: A Celebration in Four Parts

by brilliantcosmos



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Celebrations, Childhood Friends, Episode Ignis Spoilers, Father-Son Relationship, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Gladio needs a Tag Too, Hopeful Ending, Insecure Prompto Argentum, Mischief, Snow, Snowball Fight, The Future is Dark, Time Skips, Young Ignis Scientia, Young Noctis Lucis Caelum, well...kind of - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 16:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13955223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantcosmos/pseuds/brilliantcosmos
Summary: It's an Insomnia City superstition that if it snows on the celebration of Shiva's Day, it's considered good luck for the next year.Join the characters of Final Fantasy XV as they celebrate the winter solstice-when the days are the shortest, the nights the longest, and the new year is just over the horizon-as it snows on Shiva's Day three times...and the one time it didn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pipgirl3001](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Pipgirl3001).



> This was originally written as a (admittedly belated) Christmas gift for Pipgirl3001 and she has graciously granted me permission to post it. Admittedly, while it's no longer the holiday season, I currently have snow on the ground, so it still counts, right? 
> 
> Be that as it may-Happy Shiva's Day, everyone.  
> _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was superstition that snow on Shiva’s Day would bring good luck and prosperity for the next year.

Regis didn’t normally believe in superstition.

After all, superstitions were unjustified beliefs, were they not? And belief in the Astrals was hardly unjustified to him. The cool weight of the Ring and the words of the Oracle constantly reminded him that there was something much more…present than the people celebrating the change over to the new year out there actually believed.

And something much more fickle. Regis doubted Shiva even noticed what little of Lucis Niffelheim hadn’t yet chipped away, let alone contemplated whether it was fit to receive her blessing for the new year.

Yet, this year…this year was different. For it was no longer just the weight of the Ring he was holding but a small child tightly bundled against the cold of the outside and snoring quietly. The baby’s light wispy hair, dark as the night sky, peeked out from beneath a blanket. His eyes were tightly screwed shut, though Regis could not confirm if it was against the cold or just a deep sleep.

 The nursemaid had disapproved of Regis’ choice in taking the boy out at night to look at the traditional lighting ceremony, and while Regis had fully understood why, he was not going to miss the opportunity to let the child partake in his first Shiva’s Day. She’d finally acquiesced, muttering her disapproval as she bundled up the young prince, who had continued to sleep soundly both through that and the short trip up to the roof of the Citadel.

Regis held the boy, glancing out over the city that blazed with light, a bright spot against the darkness across the Wall. “Would that it could remain this way,” He whispered to the child.

“One day, you’ll be able to stand up here with me…” The baby sighed, shifting slightly in his tight wrapper. “It’s beautiful.”  
  
Noctis seemed to agree, rousing from his deep sleep. His eyes opened, blinking innocently at Regis who still managed to find himself startled by their bright blue, so reminiscent of his late mother that it provided both a sharp pain of memory and a comfort every time he looked into them.

“Ah, would you like to take a look?” Regis gently shifted the child in his arms so the baby could see out into the city, “Can you see Insomnia?” He pointed in a general direction, explaining to the small child the layout of the city. Noctis’ eyes were wide, giving the impression he was taking it all in. That is, until a quick gust of wind blew, the chill causing the child to scrunch his face and wail against the discomfort.

Regis panicked a little, pressing Noctis against his shoulder to block him against the wind. “Shhhhh, shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay. Quiet down.” But the child continued to cry, Regis wishing he thought to bring the nursemaid, Clarus, or anyone with more experience with children up with him. Instead, he bounced back and forth, rubbing Noctis’ back, and murmuring affirmations in his general direction.  
  
He would have brought the child back in, but was unsure of how loud his cries would echo throughout the mostly empty halls of the Citadel.

“Please be quiet, it’s okay, I’m here, I’ve got you. I’ll always have you.” Noctis sniffled once or twice, his wails slowly quieting. A few moments later, he gave a small hiccup, his form falling still, the deep even breathing Regis had come to recognize as sleep starting once again.

“Perhaps it’s time we went back inside…” he said quietly to himself glancing at the young boy, now drooling on his jacket. Glancing down at the child, he was surprised to find a single snowflake had caught on the boy’s eyelashes, shortly followed by another, than another.

Taking a quick glance out over the city, Regis could see the snow begin to fall-reflected in the streetlight, the candles in the many windows of the Citadel, the neon lights of shops, and the ever-present beacon of the Crystal.

In that moment, Regis wasn’t sure what was more beautiful-the snowfall or the child in his arms.

Regis didn’t normally believe in superstition.

But this year, he fervently hoped that maybe there was some truth in the belief.


	2. Chapter 2

_Eight_ _Years Later:_

“Iggy.”

It had to be a dream.  
  
“ _Iggy_.”

Just a dream. Soon it will go away, and everything will be quiet again.

“ _IGGY._ Come on, wake up!”   
  
Not a dream then. Unless dreams manifested themselves in the forms of small eight-year-old boys who should have been in their own bed, sleeping instead of roughly shaking the current occupant of this one.

Ignis rolled over, throwing off the warm comforter to find himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes, lit by the small glow of a child’s flashlight. “Noctis, what are you doing here?!”

The other boy looked slightly taken aback at the somewhat panicked whisper, pouting. “You said we’d go look at the lights…Dad never lets me stay up to see the lighting ceremony…”

Ignis squinted into the dark, his sleep slowed brain trying to remember exactly the context of this conversation. They’d spoken earlier that day about going to see the Shiva’s Day lighting ceremony, but when had he promised? How had Noctis even gotten in here?

Either way, it didn’t seem to matter-the prince was here, tugging on the other boy’s arm in an attempt to pull him out of bed. It might have been effective, but Ignis was older and heavier, and one particularly rough tug caused Noctis to fall back, stepping back to steady himself. Unfortunately, it was his weak leg, and he fell to the floor, making a loud THUMP and hissing in pain.

Ignis was out of bed in a moment, “Are you okay?” Noctis grimaced but nodded, sitting up and stretching his bad leg out, Ignis checking for any signs of injury.

“Well, you look okay…though if you were attempting to be quiet that’s failed miserably.” Noctis grinned sheepishly. “I did pretty good though!”

Ignis adjusted himself to sit cross legged on the floor. “Apparently, until you’ve decided to wake up the entire Citadel. How did you even get in here?”   
  
A rare mischievous smile. “Not telling! You’ll just go and tell Dad.”

“That was one time and you shouldn’t keep pets in the closet!”

The pout was back. “Fine,” he swung his legs back as if to get up and leaned in closer to Ignis, whispering conspiratorially, “I found a secret passage!”

Ignis sighed. _Of course he had._ One could only imagine what trouble the prince could have gotten up too-admittedly, since coming back from Tenebrae he’d been a bit more subdued according to the rumors, but that didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t still up to the occasional…adventure. Including, apparently, sneaking from the Royal apartments of the Citadel to it’s resident suites.  

“Well, then you better leave through it before my uncle catches you here.”

Noctis shook his head, shaggy black hair falling into his eyes. “He’s with my dad. And we’ve got to hurry, they are going to start in an hour and we need a good spot! Come on, get dressed!”

“We can watch it from here, you know.”

The other boy pouted. “No, the best view is supposed to be from the top!”

There was no dissuading him. Though Ignis had to admit, this was the most enthusiasm Noctis had shown in months for a main event. Progress? Ignis sighed, pulling on a warm sweater and jacket. He was loath to admit it, but that enthusiasm was slowly becoming infectious.

After all, the Ceremony of the Light _was_ one of the biggest events of the year. Every year on Shiva’s Day, Insomnia went dark, the only lights in the city the small pinpoints of candles in the windows of the city’s residents and the beacon of the Crystal.

Ignis’ own window had a light, the electric lantern lending a dim glow to the room as he double checked to make sure he had matching shoes. He checked the clock, hissing-if they really wanted to get to the roof by midnight, there was precious little time.  

For the ceremony started with the small lights, but at midnight, the entire city was turned back on, light blossoming across the span of the city as a symbol of holding off the dark and embracing the longer days to come.

Traditionally, the lighting ceremony started with the Citadel-Ignis had never actually seen it as they were rarely allowed to stay up late enough. His Highness had appeared to have enough of that this year.

“ _Iggy._ ” He whined impatiently from the bedroom door. “We are going to miss it!”

Ignis held his finger to his lips, pushing past the other boy, “If we do this, then you need to listen to me, understand?”

The younger boy nodded, a serious expression on his face.

Ignis nodded in return, a mischievous grin flickering across his own face as he opened the door.

…….

It was much simpler than Ignis expected. Between the late hour and the holiday, there were relatively few adults around. Not to say there weren’t a few close calls, one of which had the two boys shoved uncomfortably under a couch for a good five minutes, getting a good view of a pair of Glaives’ boots as they chatted about their plans for the night.

But eventually they managed to make it to the roof of the Citadel, the long elevator ride up full of excitement.

When it finally arrived, there was about fifteen minutes left until the ceremony started and Ignis felt some pride that he’d managed to get them up there with some time to spare. That pride lasted for only a bit though-It was bitterly cold, a strong wind ruffling what little hair they had peeking out of their hats. The boys didn’t seem to notice the weather, however, as the view was much more breathtaking.

Or would have been-there wasn’t much of one at the moment. With the lights of the entire city out, Insomnia looked more like the night sky, the candlelight windows stars in the darkness.

It was only a few minutes until Noct grew bored, sitting with his back against the balcony railing, his eyes slowly beginning to close-until a gigantic sneeze woke him up. Ignis sighed.

“I told you we should have just watched from inside, then…” whatever he had been planning on following it up with was cut short by the ding of an arriving elevator.

The two boys froze, staring at each other in motionless shock. Ignis quietly berated himself- _of course_ they wouldn’t be the only ones to use the roof. A quick survey revealed a small alcove a short distance away, out of sight from the elevator. He nodded in that direction to the other boy and both dashed over, cramming themselves in the tight space.

The murmur of quiet voices drifted past them, some of the words snatched away by the wind.

“Majesty…awfully cold out here…best to watch inside?”

“Nonsense, Clarus… best view…don’t want to miss...”   
  
Ignis and Noct shared a look of terror-of course, of all the people to come up, of course it had to be the King and…Ignis risked a glance around the corner…a small retinue?! Which happened to include the King’s Shield and Ignis’ uncle…

He ducked around the corner again, pressing his finger to his lips, though this time with much more panic than before. Noctis eyes widened.

“Who’s there?” He whispered, in direct violation of Ignis’ command. Ignis rolled his eyes, unsurprised that his basic request made an hour ago had been broken.

“His Majesty, the Shield, my uncle, some of the Council…”

Noctis made a face, his nose crinkling in distaste. “We are going to miss it!” Ignis sighed, the point being missed.

“It doesn’t matter if we see the lights or not, we are stuck here until they leave!” The two boys glanced as best as they could around the tiny alcove, the disappointment unable to be hidden from either of their faces. It was going to be a long night.

They stayed huddled in the alcove for another few minutes, until Noctis began hastily tugging on Ignis’ coat sleeve. Ignis shot him a questioning look, realization dawning as the other boy’s face scrunched up, sneeze incoming.

He was too late to catch it, the loud sneeze sounding across the roof seconds before Ignis’ hand covered Noctis’ mouth. The two boys froze, waiting to see if the adults had noticed. A minute passed with their cover remaining. Ignis gave a small sigh of relief, removing his hand from the younger boy’s face.

Only to have Noctis sneeze again.

Ignis looked toward the heavens, praying to Shiva that this would also go unnoticed. Whatever luck they had used to get up here seemed to have run out however, as a shadow fell over them, blocking the glow of the Crystal. A quick glance up revealed, of all people, Captain Leonis.

“Shouldn’t you two be asleep?” He sounded more puzzled than accusing, as if it was almost expected to see the Prince and his advisor-in-training up at almost midnight in the highest part of the Citadel, apparently unsupervised. Ignis was fully prepared with what he hoped was a perfectly reasonable explanation. That was, until a second voice called out.

“Captain, what’s taken you so long? It’s almost time for the lights to turn on…” Ignis’ uncle rounded the corner, stopping dead at seeing the two boys, his face creasing in a frown of disproval. “Ignis…shouldn’t you be in bed?” The frown deepened as he focused on Noctis, who tried to remain hidden behind the older boy, his hand tugging on the back of his jacket. “Your Highness…I believe the same could be said of you.”   
  
The captain’s eyebrows raised, the situation suddenly becoming clear. “I wanted to see the lighting ceremony…” Noctis pouted from behind Ignis, who added quickly, “it’s my fault, I promised I would bring him.”   
  
His uncle just closed his eyes, rubbing them in the way that Ignis recognized as trying to work through a problem. “Well, you aren’t going to see anything from there,” he frowned slightly, “and seeing as how I am at least responsible for one of you, you might as well both come out of hiding so we can deal with this appropriately.”   
  
The boys guiltily crept out of the alcove, following Ignis’ uncle and the captain to the rear of the retinue. As they grew closer, Ignis realize how much of the party he had missed with a quick peek around the corner. And it truly was a party-while they had been hidden, someone had brought drinks and snacks, and most of the council and a few other members of the inner circle of the Lucian government had arrived at some point.

In the center of it all, looking out over the balcony into the still dark city, were the king and his Shield, deep in conversation. “Your Majesty,” Ignis’ uncle cut in, “Apologies, but I have appeared to find a few uninvited guests.”

He gestured down to the two boys, both looking quite guilty. Ignis offered a quick bow, glancing up over the rim of his glasses to gauge the king’s reaction. His Majesty stared at them both, the neutral expression on his face betraying neither surprise nor anger. Noct, on the other hand, had bobbed his head, his face equally as expressionless.

“Noctis, care to explain how you made your way up here?” His Majesty’s voice was mildly disapproving…but was that a hint of curiosity?   
  
The young prince pouted, glancing at the ground, “I wanted to see the lights-you said this was the best place to see them.”

A slight softening in His Majesty’s face as he knelt down to be face to face with Noctis, ignoring the fact the boy hadn’t truly answered his question. “That’s true-why didn’t you ask if you wanted to see them?”  
  
Noctis shrugged. “You were busy.” A strange emotion flickered across His Majesty’s face, one Ignis could only identify as ‘sad’ though it seemed so much more complicated than that.

He ruffled Noctis’ hair gently, “Next time, don’t hesitate to ask-especially if that means you dragging your friends into this…”   
  
He glanced at Ignis, “I suppose this was his idea?”

Ignis swallowed, “I promised I would take him, Your Majesty.”

“Hm,” The single syllable seemed to hold a lot of weight, perhaps mostly disbelief, and the king glanced over to his uncle. “I think it best you dole out the appropriate punishment as he is your nephew.”   
  
His uncle sighed, glancing up to the sky, “Well, we are here and it is about to start…there doesn’t seem to be much point in bringing him back down now, Your Majesty.”   
  
The king’s face broke into a warm smile, “Agreed. Until tomorrow then.” He pushed Noctis towards the balcony, “Now, are you ready?”   
  
A few seconds later, the rooftop lights went ablaze, each floor of the Citadel following until the entire thing glowed like a beacon in the dark city. Streetlights flickered on, the storefronts lighting up with brightly colored neon signs. Moving billboards flickered to life, a few proclaiming, “Happy Shiva’s Day!” Residences began to light up, the candlelit windows joined by strings of brightly colored holiday lights as well in some cases. In some major areas, people gathered, holding up their own lights to add to the celebration.

The two boys stayed pressed up against the glass partition of the rooftop, gazing in awe as the dark city slowly began to come alive with light and sound as the celebrations began. A small celebration began on the roof as well, the Council joining in on the festivities. Someone cracked open the drinks, and several toasts to the coming year were heard.

His Majesty stayed by the boys’ side, careful to point out specific landmarks as they were illuminated. Ignis was surprised at how big the city appeared in the dark-the lights continued to flicker on, fading to the pinpricks of light as it moved further and further away, but it still more continued behind it.

His eyes began to droop-as much as he was looking forward to seeing it complete, to see all of Insomnia alight in a blaze of glory all the way to the wall, the night’s adventure had taken a toll. Noct himself was already nodding off, sitting on his father’s lap.

Shortly after, he was snoring softly while Ignis tried desperately to keep himself awake, waiting for the final lights of the Wall to be lit. He must have missed it as in what seemed like a short period of time, he was shaken gently by his uncle.   
  
“Ignis, come on, it’s done.” Ignis blinked, trying to wipe the short sleep from his eyes, finding the entire city sprawled out ahead of him, a sparkling gem against the darkness of the countryside beyond the Wall. The beacons on the Wall, lit blue to match the Crystal for this day, glowed brightly.

“Noctis?” He questioned sleepily, but his uncle shook his head, pointing. The young boy had completely fallen asleep, curled up in the arms of the King’s Shield as he and the king prepared to bring him back to his room.

“Alright, time to go,” He sleepily followed his uncle, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, surprised to find a dampness on his cheeks. He checked his fingers, to find a smear of moisture-and a snowflake landed gently on his palm.

“It’s snowing,” He mumbled, his uncle looking down in surprise. “Ah! That it is! Make sure you thank Shiva for the good luck next year.”

He looked at Noctis sleeping peacefully on the Shield’s shoulder, and nodded firmly, making sure to thank twice as hard for the young prince as well. After all, if this adventure was any indication, they’d need it for the next one…


	3. Interlude: The Journal

_Dearest Noctis._

_Thank you for the snowflake! I don’t think it’s childish at all-I’m quite sure the school appreciates the help with the decorations. Though, It is quite intricate for someone who claims they were “forced into assisting” the winter formal committee._

_Gentiana was actually quite taken with it. Both she and I hope that one day we will be able to see a Shiva’s Day celebration for ourselves. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to celebrate something like that here in Tenebrae._

_My apologies for the short note after such a long time. It’s been difficult to be able to find the time to properly answer back.  Hopefully this finds you well and I look forward to hearing from you soon._

_Until then, here is my own snowflake-consider it my own wish for good luck. May Shiva smile upon you for the next year!_  
  


_Till we meet again,_

_Luna_


	4. Chapter 4

_Twelve_ _Years Later:_

“This will be my year!” The blond proclaimed loudly to the café, “I’ll finally get that raise, I’ll finally complete that entrance exam, and,” he paused dramatically, “I am finally going to ask out that cute barista!”  
  
“What, you mean Rowena?” A giant of a man, a thick scar running down the side of his face, asked. He took a sip of his tea, “I thought you did that ages ago.”

The blond faltered, wilting a bit, “Wellllll…”

“He tried.” The third member of the party, a young man with shaggy black hair, joined in, glancing up from his phone, “At least I think he did, it sounded kind of like, ‘Hey, how’s it going, I’ll have the gingerbread latte with whipped cream?’”

The blond’s face fell, “Come on Noct, not you too…”  
  
Noct shrugged, a small grin on his face. “Sorry man, I call it like I see it.”   
  
The fourth member at the table closed his newspaper, folding it precisely along the lines. “Come now Noct, Prompto makes a good point. As the new year approaches, we should all wish for the best. I, for example, will wish for a peaceful year, despite somehow never having received one.” He glared pointedly at Noctis over the rim of his glasses.

Noctis shrugged, “Well, you’d need some excitement in your life Specs, I’d hate to think of what you’d consider a good time if you didn’t have us. Right, Gladio?”   
  
The big man smirked, “Hate to agree with the kid, Iggy, but he’s got a point.”   
  
Ignis’ tone was just as flat as his expression, “It’s a Shiva’s Day miracle.”   
  
Prompto cut in, once again bright and cheery, “Heyheyhey, come on guys, lighten up! We are here,” he gestured to the café, decorated in paper origami snowballs and glittery streamers, icicle lights dripping down by the windows, “and celebrating! We’ll have a whole new year ahead of us!”

“Indeed,” Ignis took a sip of his coffee, “but until then we still have this one to complete.” The tone of the table shifted slightly, moving to one of anxious excitement as the true reason for them meeting here came to light. Prompto leaned forward in the chair, resting his chest against the backrest.   
  
“Now, it’s common knowledge, that the best view of the Ceremony of the Light is from the roof the Citadel,” Prompto nodded-he’d been lucky enough to have been invited to the Ceremony last year and despite the massive anxiety he had had over being within the same confines as most of the major heads of the government of Lucis, it had still been a mind-blowing experience. He still had one of the pictures he’d taken hung up above his bed, the photo never failing to remind him how big and, to some extent, small, Insomnia truly was.   
  
Ignis continued, “But apparently some of the Glaives claim the view is just as spectacular from the Wall. Seeing as how none of us have had the opportunity to see the other side of things, I thought it would be an interesting experience.”

Noctis’ face lit up, “Definitely! Anything to get away from that stuffy party.” Prompto silently agreed, verbally choosing something more tactful. “Yeah, sounds good to me.”

Gladio, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, tipping it over to the back legs. “Sure that’s wise?” He glanced pointedly at the newspaper, the headline proclaiming, “Niffelheim Troops Continue March.” There was a subtle shift in the air, multiple implications in that one look. The mood of the table sobered as the other three contemplated the article before Ignis folded it in half, hiding the story from sight.  

Prompto did his best to keep up with the news, but there were certain things that he, as a member of the general population of Lucis, was not privy to. It hadn’t really been an issue at first-just offhanded comments from Ignis about attending a council meeting, the stack of reports constantly in Noct’s apartment, Gladio’s occasionally overprotectiveness when entering a crowded place-but now…

Now that they were out of high school and as Noct was getting pulled into more of the politics, Prompto was feeling more and more left out. It’d start off as it always did-four friends hanging out, until a sudden comment brought into sharp relief how much of an outsider he was-and how it was only a matter of time before he was left behind from the rest of them. He tugged self-consciously at his shirt, grateful that the freezing weather outside allowed for longer sleeves.

“…taken the necessary precautions.” He was brought back the present as Noct snapped his fingers inches from his nose, a concerned look on his friend’s face.   
  
“You okay? Kinda started spacing out there…” Prompto could feel the blush rising up his neck to the tops of his ears, cursing his fair skin. “Yeah, but I’m back,” he gave a nervous chuckle, “what did I miss?”

A faint raised eyebrow from Ignis and an eye roll from Gladio caused the growing pit in his stomach to worsen. _Idiot,_ he thought, _you should have been paying attention._ Luckily, Noct didn’t seem to notice.

“Iggy says we’ll be fine, he’s got it covered. We’re planning to leave around 22:30, you cool with that?”  

A quick nod, “Uh, yeah-is there anything I need to bring?”

Noct shook his head. “Like I said, Ignis has it covered. Don’t worry about it.” _If only it were that easy._ His friend continued, “Now, the important question is what we are doing until then…”   
  
Ignis shrugged, “To each his own, I suppose. There are a few preparations I need to complete prior to our excursion.” Noct rolled his eyes, “It’s a holiday Ignis, when don’t you stop working?”   
  
“We’ll probably find out on his deathbed,” Gladio smirked, receiving a raised eyebrow from the advisor that seemed more for show than any actual annoyance behind it. Noct chuckled briefly, “And what about you?”   
  
Gladio smirked, “Things to do, people to see.” This time both Prompto and Noct supplied the eye rolls. Prompto sighed, “So, who’s the lucky lady this time?”  
  
“That,” Gladio leaned forward on the table, “is none of your business.”

Prompto leaned in closer to Noct, his voice a loud whisper, “I’m starting to think none of these girls actually exist.” Noctis snorted in response and Gladio playfully pushed Prompto to the side, the younger teen almost falling out of his chair.

“Nah, I just know not to mix personal matters and work. But mostly I know better than to introduce a nice girl to you idiots.”

There was a clamor from the table as the other three protested good naturedly against his statement, Gladio taking it all with a sip of his drink.

“Geez, big guy, didn’t realize this was just work…” Prompto winced internally. _That wasn’t supposed to come out so whiney…_

Gladio didn’t seem to notice. “A Shield never gets a day off. Although, speaking of…” he glanced at his watch, “I am going to be late. I’ll meet you guys later!” He took a final drink of his tea, then swaggered off, waving briefly to the rest of the table as he left.

“Do you think he meant that?” Prompto’s question earned inquisitive looks from both Ignis and Noctis and he hastily clarified. “That him hanging out with us is just work.”   
  
Ignis looked thoughtfully in the direction Gladio had left in. “To some extent yes, in that he takes his role as Shield very seriously. The Amicita’s have held that role for hundreds of years-it’s a heavy responsibility.” He must have noticed the expression on Prompto’s face, adding, “Don’t misunderstand-I mean to say that it’s rare when he is not ‘on the job.’ But, I can assure you that if this was just work, he probably would not go out of his way to be so irritating about it.”   
  
Prompto shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the huge divide between the rest of the group and him rearing its ugly head again. Luckily, Noct shortly broke the thoughtful silence, adding to Ignis’ explanation.

“Or blowing us off to go on dates.”  He stretched lazily onto the table, “seriously we aren’t that bad, are we?”

A raised eyebrow from Ignis was enough to confirm exactly what he thought, but Prompto’s emphatic interjection to the positive most likely cut off whatever slight reprimand Noctis would have gotten for deciding to use the table as a head rest.

“Yeah, exactly! We’re awesome! Who wouldn’t want to hang out with us?”

Ignis got up smoothly from his chair, scooping up the newspaper. “I’m afraid that group includes me at the moment. I should be going if everything’s to be ready by tonight. Would you like me to drop you off at home?”

Noctis huffed. “Actually, I was kind of hoping we’d get the chance to wander around a bit.” He glanced over at Prompto, “You in?” Prompto nodded, adding a cheery “yeah buddy!” before noticing Ignis’ mouth curve into a slight frown, his hand grip the newspaper just a little tighter.

“I’ll call for an escort then.”

Noctis let out an exasperated sigh, “You’re worrying too much Specs-I don’t need a babysitter.”   
  
“I never said you did,” he took out his phone, completing a rapid-fire text, “And yet, someone will be here anyway. Please refrain from making any terrible decisions while I’m away.”

“I would never,” Noctis grinned and Ignis looked like he was ready to say something else before sighing quietly, tipping his head and following Gladio’s path out the door. The two remaining at the table watched intently until he was out of sight.  

“Well, now what?” Prompto inquired, “anything in mind?”

“I was thinking we’d just wander-have you ever seen the festival from down here?” Noctis stood, pulling on his coat, and tugging a hat down so far that between it and the high collar of his jacket, he looked like any other Insominian citizen fighting the cold-not that he was usually noticed that much anyway. Prompto followed suit.

“Once, I think, when I was younger-my parents brought me.”

It had been one of the rare occasions that they had been home and what little Prompto remembered was mostly a blur of light, people, and noise.

Stepping out of the café onto the street, that didn’t seem to change much as an adult either. People crowded out on the evening streets, music played from storefronts and street vendors shouted, trying to attract customers to buy some of their seasonal treats. It was so busy, Prompto almost didn’t notice the suited Crownsguard peel himself away from his post, following a short distance away.

He was shortly forgotten though, as the delicious smell of fresh baked Shiva’s Day cookies drifted past as a vendor pressed them from the iron. The delicate cookies, covered in a snowflake pattern and dusted in powdered sugar were one of Prompto’s favorite parts of the holiday. Both he and Noct picked up a few and, despite the chill, the traditional shaved ice.

Prompto’s snacks were quickly handed off to Noct, as his hands managed to be full trying to catch photos of the festivities-a dance troupe twirling, the sleeves of their costumes billowing out as they turned, then falling gently like snow flurries, a tree strung with delicate fairy lights that made it look like it was blooming fluorescent berries, a vendor hawking spun sugar snowballs, Noct making a stupid face as the chill of the shaved ice hit his palate…there was so much to see and do it was overwhelming to the senses.

They had managed to make their way all the way to the arcade for a rest when the Crownsguard gently tapped Noct’s shoulder, “Highness, it’s time.”

A sigh of frustration, that Prompto had to agree with-after all what better way to start off the next year than with the high score in Justice Knight Fighter Rebellion: Remix The Third? But they reluctantly left the arcade, and headed to Noct’s apartment, the short drive taking much longer with the holiday traffic. On the way, storefronts began to close, the city growing dark in preparation.  

When they arrived, Ignis was already outside the door, still dressed against the cold, a large bag at his feet. They greeted and chatted as if it hadn’t been only a few hours since they had spoken, Prompto trying multiple times to sneak a look into the bag that was most definitely full of something delicious.

Before he had a chance to succeed, Gladio showed up, to loud cheers and teasing that he brushed off good naturedly. Prompto found the excitement beginning to build as they set off, the car ride an exercise in anticipation for them all, the joking, teasing, and general chatter continuing all the way to the Wall.

It was a general requirement that every school kid goes to visit the Wall. The only time Prompto had gone had been in elementary school and had left with vague memories of it being larger than life. As Ignis’ car was waved past the checkpoint, gliding smoothly into a parking spot, he was a little surprised to see that is was just as large as he remembered. The sheer scale of the Wall was awe-inspiring and Prompto found himself preparing to take a picture, before the Glaive escort coldly reminded him that there was no photography until they were at the top.

And once there, it was a complete opposite from the city. Out here there were fewer people, the Glaives on duty almost somber in comparison to the revelry that had gone on in the city. Not to say there was no celebratory feeling-but in comparison to the free-spirited nature of the citizens towards the city center, the Wall’s celebration was relatively subdued.

Prompto couldn’t help but notice an undercurrent of tension in the air, one that didn’t seem to vibe with the holiday spirit, and he couldn’t help but be reminded of the newspaper article from earlier. As they walked, he saw that most of the Glaives were staring out away from Insomnia, into the dark expanse of Eos.

“Even you noticed it, huh?” Gladio’s quiet affirmation to his thoughts gave Prompto a start-he didn’t think he had been staring _that_ closely at the sentries. He looked at the older man, who kept walking beside him nonchalantly.

“...Sorry…didn’t mean to stare.”  The Shield-in-training didn’t seem to care-rather, he was observing the sentries probably closer than Prompto had been. Prompto took another glance as they continued along the rampart to their destination. “Is it really that bad?”  
  
Gladio shrugged, keeping his voice low. “They don’t tell us everything.” His eyes flicked ahead to their other two friends, casually conversing up ahead. “But…I think so, yeah.”

The two fell silent and Prompto began to notice other things-the fact that weapons always seemed to be close by, the occasional hushed whispers, the sidelong glances in Noct’s direction.

“Maybe you were right…maybe this is a bad idea…” Prompto added quietly. Gladio looked down at him surprised. “I never said it was a bad idea.”   
  
“But-but you said-“ Gladio rolled his eyes, giving the younger man a slight push. “Okay, I might have said it wasn’t smart, I never said it was a bad idea.”

“Aren’t those the same thing?”

Gladio chuckled. “Sometimes. But then, every once in a while, something stupid is good. I mean, who knows how long we’ll have these opportunities? ‘Sides, we are safe on the wall, surround by Kingsglaives, I’m here and Noct can more than handle himself. Just don’t tell him I ever said that, I won’t hear the end of it for weeks.” Prompto laughed, though it ended up being a little bit more nervous than he had expected.

“Believe me, Iggy planned this out pretty thoroughly. If he said he’s taken care of it, then the ‘i’s are dotted, ‘t’s crossed and the whole thing is probably signed in triplicate. Seriously,” he added, pulling out a form from his coat pocket, the Crownsguard seal shining in the dim light, “I’ve got proof.”

“No way,” Prompto glanced at the letter, “You guys went through a lot of trouble for this.”

Gladio shrugged. “Eh, Iggy did most of the work, but it’ll be worth it…Noct needed to get away for a bit.”

Prompto looked ahead-Ignis and Noct had managed to get pretty far ahead, deep in their conversation. That empty pit in his stomach seeming to grow again,” You guys really look out for each other, huh? I mean, I know that’s your job, but…”

Gladio was quiet for a moment, “Calling it a job makes it sound like there are other options…this is duty.” He sighed, “And it didn’t start off so friendly. Noct doesn’t let in people that easy…And I may have punched Ignis in the face the first time I met him.”

If Prompto had had a drink, he was pretty sure he would have done a spit-take. “You’re kidding me.”

A smirk alighted on Gladio’s face, “Nope.”

“Why?” Prompto asked, bewildered.

“What, you _didn’t_ want to punch him?” Prompto’s brow furrowed in confusion and Gladio clarified. “Smug, just condescending enough you aren’t sure if you should be offended, way too formal, know-it-all…makes a person pretty punchable. Especially when you’re a kid.”

“How’d that go over?”

“Eh,” Gladio shrugged, “He was actually also kind of being an ass at the time, he admitted it, we got over it.”

Prompto’s eyes narrowed skeptically, “It sounds like there is more to that story.”

“There is-you should ask him about it sometime. Make sure Noct is in the room, he does a great impression of the Marshal. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you already.”

Annnnnnnnnd there is was again-the reminder that once again, he would never share the same bond the other three had. The pit hadn’t stopped growing. He grew silent, trying to push the feeling away, trying to ignore that widening chasm. Up ahead, Ignis and Noct had stopped at the farthest part of the wall, the Glaive that had escorted them offering a quick bow to Noct’s clear discomfort before continuing in the opposite direction.

“Well, it’s not like I get to know everything…”   
  
Gladio waved his hand dismissively. “Getting to know and him volunteering are two different things. You becoming friends with him is probably the closest thing the kid will ever have to a normal life…it’s helped him a lot.”   
  
“You think?!” He didn’t mean to sound so eager…but the unexpected, if slight, praise was surprisingly comforting.

“Yeah-look you might not understand because this isn’t something you’ve grown up with,” Gladio hesitated, “But Ignis and I, we’re his friends, but there are times when we can’t be. Having someone like you, someone outside of the Citadel life, letting him be a normal kid…he needs that. It’s why we go through so much effort for stuff like this. Even Lady Lunafreya…” He rubbed the back of his neck, muttering under his breath, “Geez, why am I even telling you this shit?”

Despite that, he continued. “It’s just…you didn’t know him years ago when he barely talked to anyone and was the biggest spoiled brat I’ve ever met.” He paused for a minute, rethinking his statement. “Okay, so not much has changed. But back then, being the King’s Shield _was_ just kind of a job...”   
  
“Now?” Up ahead, Noct waved, trying to catch their attention.   
  
“When he gets his act together, I’ll probably follow him to the ends of Eos. And if you tell him I said that,” Gladio threw an arm over Prompto’s shoulder, waving jovially back at Noct, a huge grin on his face, “I’ll kill you.”

Prompto laughed nervously, really hoping he was kidding, knowing full well he may not have been. They joined the other two, Noct leaning against the railing of the rampart, Ignis pulling what looked like a small picnic from his bag.

“Geez, you guys get lost? It’s starting at any moment…” Noct pouted as Ignis handed Prompto a mug of hot chocolate. Prompto didn’t even realize how cold it was outside until he took a sip, the steaming drink burning the roof of his mouth.

Gladio answered, “I was talking about what’s over the wall, Prompto was curious about good picture spots-it’s too bad it’s too dark.”

Noct yawned, Gladio’s answer proving to be uninteresting. “We’ll have to come back when it’s daylight then…”

“Yeah! That’d be great!” Prompto added, maybe a little too enthusiastically and... somewhat sincerely surprised. It had been a good cover by Gladio, and actually something he’d kind of always wanted to do. Noct cast a surprised look in his direction.

“Okay, then-next year to new adventures.” Noct raised his own cup of hot chocolate, and the other three added to the toast. Ignis adding quietly, “It’s starting…”

The group fell silent as the Citadel began to light up, starting at the roof and traveling down, floor by floor. As soon as the bottom floor was lit, the rest of the city began to follow suit, the dark expanse slowly beginning to return to the familiar city they knew as the light spread like a wave. The four friends watched as the city began to light up, enjoying the hot chocolate and quiet conversation, forgotten by the Wall sentries.

At some point, Prompto had brought out his camera to capture the view-it was a really neat sight to see from this end and kind of reminded him of the dawn-that moment that the sun rises to push back the night.

Stepping back at little bit, he raised the camera to his face. His three friends stood, backs to him, silhouetted against the encroaching light. He checked the picture in the small display, surprised at how well it had come out.

“Hey!” He called, “Say Happy Shiva’s Day!” The three turned around, obliging and Prompto proudly displayed the photo. He slung the camera around his neck after the others had taken a look and watching the almost lit city.

“What, that’s it?” Noct asked, “You aren’t going to take one with us?”

Prompto was glad it was still dark here, so the other three missed the nervous flush that went up the back of his neck. “Nah, it’s fine, besides it’s almost over! We’re missing it!”  

“Nonsense,” Ignis said, “At this point, it’s nothing we don’t see every day anyway.”

“Yeah,” Gladio added, “And we’ve got nowhere to be.”

“Well, if you insist…” Prompto said, turning around with his back to the city. The other three crowded around him, staving off the winter chill. Ignis leaned over his right shoulder, Noct on the left, Gladio towering over all three. It was a challenge to get everyone in the frame, but after some finagling, Prompto managed.

“Okay…say good luck for next year!” The other three shouted and the camera clicked, locking in the memory.

Prompto opened the camera roll, looking at the last picture, the others crowding over to look at the small screen. Noct leaned his chin on Prompto’s shoulder, “Hey, that came out pretty good.”   
  
“Not bad,” Gladio added as Ignis asserted, “Well taken.” And Prompto had to admit it was a good picture-just four friends enjoying the celebration, the City brilliant behind them. A well of emotion rose in Prompto’s throat, something warm and comforting. He swallowed it back down, and it helped fill that empty pit from earlier just a little.

“Yeah, it’s not bad…” He’d be sure to add it to the wall at home.

All the sudden the dim lights that had been illuminating the wall brightened, bathing the whole Wall a brilliant sapphire blue.   
  
“Ah,” Ignis said, shielding his eyes against the sudden brightness, “It’s over…”

“No snow this time…” Noct almost sounded sad.   
  
“Unfortunately, no,” Ignis said, “Weather said clear skies all night-at least it allowed us a chance to look at the stars.”

“Eh,” Prompto slung his arm around his friend’s shoulders as they looked out into the city, “There’s always next year.”   
  
Noct looked at him, that small sideways grin on his face, “Right. Till next year then.”

Turning back, Prompto caught a quick glimpse of the other side of the wall. The yawning darkness lit only by the moon, the stars, and the occasional street light of the road seemed heavy with anticipation. The completion of the lighting ceremony only seemed to heighten the stark difference on both sides of the wall-on one side, the brilliant comforting glow of home, the other a dim, mysterious emptiness of the unknown. It was quickly forgotten though, as he turned back, joking and teasing with his friends.

The four looked out across Insomnia one last time before leaving, lights once again twinkling brightly as if considering the next year itself, one filled with hope and promise and new adventures.


	5. Chapter 5

_Nine_ _Years Later:_

The days had started to blend together. After all, when there  was no difference between night and day, it seemed endless, so what was the point of even trying to keep track of the days anymore? Watches and clocks had become a precious commodity, the only thing to some extent able to break up the endless night. There were some people who kept meticulous track of the days that followed.

Gladio was not one of them.

What difference did it make after all? Keeping track of how long they had been in the dark didn’t stop demons, didn’t save people, hadn’t brought Noctis back. So, while some people were recording each change of the hours, Gladio found his purpose more useful in other places. After all, there was no King to protect, but that didn’t make a Shield useless.

Time was kept in hunts completed, people rescued, communities protected, friends and comrades lost. Occasionally, something would remind him of the season-a dull, lifeless flower blooming in what would have been spring, roasting a meal over a campfire, the bitter chill as fall turned to winter.  If not for the one day a year he and the Retainers, as he’d heard them been called, specifically got together to celebrate their missing friend’s birthday, Gladio wasn’t entirely sure he would know what year it was.

And it wasn’t exactly a good reminder-the first year Noct had been taken into the Crystal, they’d spent the day in remembrance, both a happy and sobering occasion. But as the years had gone on, the day had shortened and the last time they had met-Noctis’ 29th birthday-they’d barely spent an hour together before parting ways.

Apparently, time didn’t heal all wounds.

Rather, each time they met, it seemed to rub more salt in them. Gladio still had never truly gotten over the fact that his last actual conversation with Noctis had been a fight-something he felt that Ignis and Prompto had never really forgiven him for…and why would they? After all, he hadn’t forgiven himself.

Working made him forget.

So, time was measured in hunts, rescues, rarely staying still, always on the move.

It was how he had come to Hammerhead-well, what was left of Hammerhead, the old garage transformed into a hunter’s outpost. A particularly nasty demon hunt had been completed, and Hammerhead had been the closest outpost to drop off the spoils.

 He had been getting ready to leave when a flash of gold winked out of the corner of his eye. “Well, would’ya looky here! What y’all got planned today?”

There might not have been a sun in the sky anymore, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t sunlight-and Cindy’s bright smile could have powered Hammerhead by itself. She was bundled up against the winter cold, but her ever present sunny disposition made it feel like summer. Gladio found his own face breaking into a grin in return.

“Cindy, you’re a sight for sore eyes. How’ve you been?”

She shrugged, taking one of the bags Gladio had been carrying, “Same old, same old. Been busy trying to keep everything running, but parts are gettin’ kinda hard to find. Luckily, Papaw’s got a whole fabrication setup in Lestallum, but it’s been tough gettin’ out there.” She chattered on a bit more, updating him on the old garage, Gladio content to take in her conversation.

“So,” she broke off, “It’s rare to see y’all three in the same place, what’ll y’all got planned for tonight?” Gladio frowned in confusion, “What do you mean?”   
  
Cindy’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Didya not know?”   
  
Gladio’s frown deepened, “Know what?”   
  
“Cindy! Cindy, I found it, it was-“ The excited shouting around the corner revealed itself to be a lanky blond, who skidded to a stop merely inches away from the bigger man. He froze just in time, which was probably a good call as he had been waving a large wrench in one hand.

“Gladio?” The confused look on his face melted into a smile just as bright as Cindy’s, “Gladio! I didn’t think you’d be around today too!”

“Prompto?!” Gladio’s confusion only seemed to deepen as more questions were revealed than answers. “Why today?”

Prompto’s eyebrows dipped, the look of confusion once again on his face and he opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Cindy. “Don’t’ya know what today is?”   
  
The blank look on his face must have answered her question because she didn’t want long to answer. “It’s Shiva’s Day…”  
  
“Yeah,” Prompto added, “You…didn’t know?” Gladio frowned, trying to remember-was it already that time?

Shiva’s Day had been the most popular holiday in Insomnia, but as the years passed, the celebration seemed to have fallen out of favor. After all, when the patron goddess lies dead by invading forces and turning off the lights meant what little protection offered from demons became nonexistent, old traditions no longer seemed to matter.

That being said, some people still celebrated in their own way. Gladio had been among them, making sure to send a prayer to the fallen Astral on the coldest day of the year. He hadn’t celebrated it with his friends in years though…not that it had seemed to matter all that much, as Prompto tugged on his arm.

“Well, you’re here now and that’s the important part. C’mon, Iggy’s in the caravan, he’ll be happy to hear you’ve showed up!”

The younger man chattered nonstop, Gladio trying to keep up with his stream of consciousness. Apparently, the meet-up had been a chance-Prompto usually hung around Hammerhead, but an excursion to Galdin Quay had meant this was the best place for Ignis to stop as well.

“Talcott’s somewhere around here too, Iggy had to get him to drive, speaking of which,” Prompto pounded up the steps to bang one of the caravan’s door open, “Ignis, guess who I found!”   
  
The caravan was dim inside, the only light coming from the stove top, illuminating Ignis’ slender frame. Gladio could hear a knife on the cutting board and was suddenly reminded of times past, the rhythmic noise part of the soundtrack to setting up a campsite.   
  
Ignis stood still, the glow illuminating his tilted head as he listened briefly. “Gladio. It’s been a while. Prompto, I thought I told you to knock first. Are the lights on?” His matter-of-fact delivery was somehow comforting, like it had only been a week since they’d spoken, not the actual months since they had last saw one another.

Well, since Gladio had seen Ignis, that is. Prompto flicked the light switch on the wall, illuminating the small caravan to reveal the other man, currently in the middle of preparing dinner, ingredients carefully arranged in front of him.

Gladio had gotten used to the scars at this point-he’d seen (and gotten) worse-but it always took him a moment to adjust to the uncanny ability the other man had to _look._ Ignis had always had a fairly intense gaze, he supposed, but it always unnerved him how once the ability to see had been taken from him, it had seemed to magnify tenfold.

“Rather surprised to meet you here,” He scooped the onion he’d been cutting onto a pan in the stove in one fluid motion, giving the pan a shake before picking up a pepper and beginning to cut it. Gladio, snorted, taking a seat on the caravan’s sofa. “You don’t sound it.”

Prompto took the seat opposite him, “Because he probably heard you walk through the gate.”   
  
Ignis huffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, I didn’t hear you till you were at the steps. What did I tell you about exaggerating?” Prompto rolled his eyes. “Talcott told me that the last time you two went out you identified the demon ambush from about 50 meters away and then proceeded to take them all down yourself.”

Ignis tried to look disapproving, but the corner of his mouth lifted subtly in a proud smirk. “Apparently you aren’t the only one to exaggerate either.” The peppers joined the onions in the pan, the caravan soon beginning to smell delicious, “Though apparently I’ve not been the only one busy. Good job on the convoy defense last week.”   
  
Prompto rubbed the back of his neck, “Eh, it wasn’t that big of a deal…”

“Hmm, yes, I’m sure the citizens you escorted to Lestallum disagree.”

“Wait, I heard about that,” Gladio added, “That was good work.” Prompto bounced up, the smile bright on his face, though Gladio noticed it didn’t extend to his eyes as much as it used it. “Thanks, big guy! And what have you been up to?”

Gladio shrugged, “Nothing new-probably the same things you two have.”

The conversation continued from there-trivial everyday things, catching up since the last time they had seen one another. Eventually the meal was finished cooking, Prompto helping serve despite Ignis’ protests. The whole dinner was…rather nostalgic and Gladio found himself once again remembering better times.

That was until, Prompto carefully placed a fourth cup down on the table and a sober silence settled over the group.

“Any news,” Gladio asked quietly.

Prompto shook his head quietly. “No,” Ignis added somberly, “Nothing yet.”

The three stared at the empty cup, each lost in their own thoughts, the silence beginning to grow uncomfortable.

“You don’t suppose-“ Prompto started haltingly, but before he could finish, there was a loud knock on the door.

“Ignis! Ignis! You gotta come outside!” The door burst open to reveal an excited teenage boy, though the excitement turned into one of shock as he saw the other two, “Oh, I didn’t realize you guys were here too!”

‘Talcott!” Prompto was just as excited to see him, “Dude, look at you!” The two descended into quick chatter, but it was cut short by Ignis. “What’s the emergency?”   
  
Talcott looked blank as if he’d already forgotten why he’d almost broken down the door, then brightened, “There’s no emergency, come on!” He tugged on the older man’s arm who shook him off, “You know I am perfectly capable of walking…”

Talcott shrugged, “Sorry, just…just come on!”   
  
Gladio and Prompto shared a confused look, following the other two outside.

Gladio was once again reminded how much the weather had changed with the darkness, the chill hitting him immediately once outside, odd in a place once known for its heat. But that wasn’t the only thing that had hit him.

It was snowing.

Real snow, honest to Astral snow-not like the falling ash that seemed to be ever present nowadays.

It must have just started, as there was only a light coat on the ground, but it was falling heavily, the big fat snowflakes catching in the lights of the station. Talcott and Ignis had stopped up ahead, joining Cindy and a group of hunters, staring at the sky.

“Snow,” Prompto said in awe, “On Shiva’s Day…”

“It’s been years,” Gladio’s voice was hushed, though from the shock at the weather or to match the quiet feeling of the gently falling snow he wasn’t sure. He looked ahead at the group-Talcott trying to collect enough for a snowball and a few other young hunters trying to start a snowball fight, Cindy trying to catch a few of them on her tongue. Ignis had his face turned up to the sky, taking it all in. As the snowflakes fell, they melted, the moisture looking almost like tears on his face.

Gladio could feel the same dampness on his own though he wasn’t sure if it was just snow. He stood quietly next to the advisor as Prompto ran off, camera clicking, using what little precious film he had left to document the miracle.

“Do you remember what a Shiva’s Day snowfall meant?” Ignis asked quietly, his face still tilted up. Gladio huffed, the breath forming a small puff of fog in front of him, “That old superstition?”

“Is it truly superstition?”

Gladio glanced at the other man. “What do you mean by that?”

“That perhaps this isn’t just random happenstance-perhaps this is…a sign of some sort.”

“You were never the type to believe in signs.” The other man finally looked down, hugging his arms against the cold, “Unless you know something we don’t?”

Ignis was quiet for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, deciding how to proceed. Gladio waited, tense beside him.

“I had a…dream the other night.” He stopped, the frown on his face evident this was no normal dream. Gladio stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

“I don’t remember much of it…flashes, snippets of…something. Nothing useful.” Frustration tainted his voice, “Just…just like before. Exactly like before.”

Gladio could barely hear the last sentence, the other man had said it so quietly and he remembered another time when Ignis had confessed to seeing…something.

_It had been a few days or so after Noct had been…taken by the Crystal, the wound still fresh and raw. They had been camping in a Gralean bunker, debating their next move. It had been a tired argument-Gladio proposing they leave and come back to get the Crystal, Prompto claiming they couldn’t just leave Noct here. Ignis, who had normally been the one to break up the argument, this time had been strangely silent._

_“What if he comes out and we aren’t here? What if he’s by himself? He wouldn’t leave us, we can’t leave him!”_

_“I didn’t say we were leaving him!”_

_It was a stale argument-no winners, nothing decided, the end usually involving them all sulking over cold canned food scrounged from the remains of the base. This time though-_

_“Stop it,”_

_Ignis’ tone was forceful, angry, annoyed, frustrated, tired, all the emotions they all had felt for the past few days saturating those two syllables._

_“He’s not coming back any time soon.”_

_Dead silence filled the bunker._

_“What do you mean?!” Prompto had asked, “You don’t know that!”_

_“He’s not coming back yet.” The words were bitten off, condescending and Gladio would have given anything in the world for Ignis to have had his sight back just to have seen the hopeless look on Prompto’s face._

_“What makes you so sure?” Gladio had growled._

_Ignis had fallen silent, as if debating where to start. “When I reached the altar in Altissa,” he pushed up his glasses, the familiar habit now useless. “I…I found Pryna.”_

_“No…” Prompto had looked heartbroken._

_“I’m sorry,” Ignis had said quietly. “When Lady Lunafreya passed…” He took a shaky breath, “Pryna bestowed a…vision of some sort to me.”_

_“What do you mean a ‘vision’?” Gladio’s voice held a barely contained thread of anger. Ignis ran his hands through his hair in frustration._

_“I don’t know! All I could remember were flashes of something, a voice,” he waved his hands in the air, “A voice explaining something about the Chosen King, something about the Crystal, I didn’t understand at the time!”_

_He grew quiet, “I still don’t understand.”_

_“Are you trying to say,” Gladio said, the anger growing cold as he took a menacing step toward the other man, “that you_ knew _all this time.”_

_Prompto looked betrayed. “What? Iggy, that’s ridiculous, you didn’t, right? Right?”_

_Ignis didn’t answer._

_Gladio was over to him within seconds, picking him up by his shirt and slamming him against the wall of the bunker so hard it echoed slightly in the mostly empty room. “YOU KNEW ALL THIS TIME AND DID NOTHING.”_

_“Gladio! Stop!” Prompto tried to pull him away, but the larger man shook him off. Ignis had hung limply in his grip, not even trying to fight back._

_Gladio gave him a shake, “You should have told us! You should have come up with a plan to stop it!”_

_Ignis coughed. “When?! When Noct was recovering? When you were pushing him although he was grieving? When Prompto had been kidnapped? When would have been a good time Gladio? By the time I’d realized what it even meant, we were already too late to stop it!”_

_Gladio shook him again, hard enough this time that Ignis’ glasses fell to the floor, revealing the full extent of his barely healed scars. “If you had told us anything earlier, we could have saved him! But you had to go play hero!”_

_The expression on Ignis’ face grew cold. “I was trying to protect him!”_

_“THAT’S NOT YOUR JOB.” Gladio had roared. Ignis’ face, which had filled his red-tinged vision, suddenly softened._

_“That’s...not…your job.” Gladio repeated, all the sudden acutely aware of the moisture on his cheeks, how tired he suddenly felt. He let go of Ignis’ shirt, falling to the floor. Ignis slid down the wall to face him, staring sightlessly past his shoulder. Prompto hovered between the two broken men, trying to decide who to go to first, eventually deciding it was best to stand anxiously off to the side._

_The bunker had fallen silent, the only sound Gladio’s quiet sobs. Silent tears flowed down Ignis’ face as well, and Prompto tried to discreetly wipe his eyes on his hands. The tableau lasted for a few moments, until Gladio sniffed, rubbing at his eyes._

_Ignis had quietly broken the silence, “I’m allowed to protect my friend too.”_

_“Was there anything else?” Gladio had asked. Ignis hesitated and Gladio had repeated the question, biting off each word.  “Scientia. Was. There. Anything. Else.”_

_The other man took a sharp sigh in, leaning his head back against the wall so he would have been staring at the ceiling. “Many…many sacrificed themselves for the King,” he hesitated again, before continuing softly, “so must the King sacrifice himself for all. That’s all I…all I remember.”_

_Prompto had collapsed on one of the bunk beds. Ignis remained in the same position, a single tear sliding down his already damp cheeks._

_Gladio had gotten up and left the room. He hadn’t retuned till a few hours later to find dinner prepped, a few cans of slightly warm…nutrition, waiting for him._

_They had left the next day._

Gladio was snapped out of the memory as a cold wet snowball hit him on the side of the head, breaking the somber mood between the two Retainers.

“Hey,” he shouted, “who threw that?”

The culprit was obvious-Prompto, his hands red and still covered snowflakes, pointed at Talcott whose betrayed look was positively heartbreaking. The blond, on the other hand, could barely keep a smile off his face.

“Okay, that’s it, Iggy, excuse me, I have some unfinished business to take care of…” Prompto’s face flicked rapidly from smug to terrified and the younger man bolted from the retaliation. Gladio was just getting ready to launch his snowball at the other man, when one hit the back of his head. He spun around, looking for his next target, only to find Ignis brushing off his gloves and an overly innocent look on his face.

“Oh my apologies, did I hit you?” Gladio’s only response was to launch his own snowball, hitting the smug bastard right in the face. Ignis gasped in exaggerated horror.

“How dare you hit a blind man?” He scooped up a bit of snow, forming it quick into a ball before launching it-Gladio barely managed to get out of the way in time, tripping on the unfamiliar terrain. He looked up to see Prompto’s wide grin, shortly followed by a cascade of white as he dumped a snowdrift on him.

The fight was vicious. Short, but vicious and at the conclusion, the participants were left panting in exhaustion. Prompto lay down, beginning to wave his arms back and forth to make a snow messenger. Gladio had collapsed on the ground, listening to Talcott help Cindy build a snowman.  

He closed his eyes, trying to collect his breath, only to have Cindy’s cheerful yell broke into his quiet thoughts. “Well, well, well, what’d we have here? Who do you belong ta-wait, come back, we ain’t gonna hurt ya! Wait…where’dya go?”  

Gladio cracked open an eye. “What’s up Cindy?”

The woman shrugged, confused. “There was a dog I didn’t recognize, figured it was a stray or it belongs to a new hunter...but it just up and vanished.”

Ignis perked up from his spot, “What kind of dog?” His sudden interest had cause Prompto to stop waving his arms back and forth, Gladio sitting up a little straighter.

Cindy looked confused at the sudden interest from the Retainers. “I don’t rightly know-little tough to see with the snow.”

Ignis’ face twisted into a frown, “Was it black? White underbelly? Yellow eyes?”

Her eyes widened in surprise, “Now that ya mention it, I think…how’d ya know?”

Prompto shot to his feet in a flash, “ _Umbra_.” His serious tone was a rapid change from the delighted laugh that had come from him only a few moments earlier. “Cindy, where did you see him?”

Cindy pointed towards a spot in the fence, “Y’all know that dog?”

Prompto shot off in the direction, Gladio and Ignis following shortly after him. He reached the fence first and launched himself over the barricade, the hunters on watch shouting a belated, “Stop!” after him.

Gladio followed him, keeping an eye out in the unguarded area. Ignis stood above, hanging over the edge of the barricade. “What’s there?”   
  
“Footprints, there are footprints! He was here, Umbra was here!” Prompto’s excited voice seemed incredibly loud in the quiet of the snowfall. He followed the footprints, ignoring his own safety to follow them a short distance, “Not very many of them though.”   
  
He sounded disappointed, like he had expected more. Gladio glanced at the ground briefly, confirming the pawprints, shortly returning to guard duty. “If that’s all Prompto, we need to get back inside the barrier.” A high-pitched shriek sounded, not too far off.

“But there’s got to be something more,” the younger man searched frantically around the area, “He would have left us a message. UMBRA! Umbra, here boy!”

Ignis shouted down, “Perhaps Umbra was the message!” Cindy added, “Will ya two get back in here ‘fore your shoutin’ brings a whole horde of demons on us and explain what on Eos is going on?”

The shriek sounded again, this time closer, causing both Gladio and Prompto to head back into the safety of the station, leaving the proof of the messenger’s appearance to slowly become covered in the snowfall.

Ignis met them at the gate, “There was nothing else?” Prompto shook his head. “That was it.”

The three stood in silence briefly, the mood much different than the joy that had been present earlier.

“Maybe you’re right,” Gladio muttered, “Maybe this is a sign.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow, “You were never the type to believe in signs…”

Gladio looked up to the sky. “Things change.”

Prompto added, “Sometimes for the better.”

The other two acquiesced, falling once again quiet, a hopeful anticipation heavy in the air. Gladio gazed into the black, marveling at the snow, that still falling gently, made it almost look like the stars had returned.

The return of the light, the start of a new year-the start of hope for Eos again. Tomorrow, he’d go back to the same routine, but this time, this time he’d keep track of the days. Not as a remembrance of how long they had that had been in the dark, but a reminder that soon, the light would return. He offered a prayer to Shiva, the first of many in a long time, that those days would be short.

But that was tomorrow. Now, he was content to stand here, among friends, allowing some small measure of hope to rekindle.

And a short distance away, a black dog watched the scene, yellow eyes glowing in the dark, like a gentle reminder, that even in the darkest night, light can always be found.   



End file.
